The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-13
BIG LOCKOUT IT CHICAGO
/ Employers Grow Weary of Continual
Annoyance in the Shape Of Strikes,
And Work of All Kinds in the Building Trades
Will Be Stepped To-Day. Throwing Fifty
Thousand Men Out of Employment.
BEGINsrsG OF A BIG FIGHT.
Chicago Building Contractors Determined
Make a Struggle for Freedom.


Chicago Building Contractors Determined to
Make Struggle for Freedom.
Special to the IrdianaJos journal.
CHICAGO, May 12.--The master builders will
tomorrow inaugurate the greatest lockout in
the history OF Chicago. On the black board
at their headquarters the following notice was
posted:
"All members of the Master Builders aud
Traders Exchange now working men are re
quested TO stop work on Friday night, May 13,
and report to the executive committee.
JOSEPH DowNEY President"
At noon to-day, hundreds of master carpen-
ters. builders. masons and material men stood
around tho doors of the Exchange rooms. on
LaSalle street. all anxiously and earnestly dis
cussing the really alarming condition Of affairs
in which they find themselves and their business
plunged. At the meeting OF the executive COM
nittee of thesB1aster Builders Association, yes
terday, committees appointed to confer
with the material men and learn how far the
contractors could rely on their assistance in case
they should decide upon a hard struggle with
the trades unions An agreement, in
which the signers pledge themselves not to sell
materials of any kind to anyone engaged in the
building business. either directly or indirectly,
was prepared and carried by the committee to
the different building material supply firms.
aging than had been anticipated. All the lead
ing brick makers and those who controlled the
outside brick trade signed at The lime
and cement men signed. and the signature OF
the Chicago Stone Company, which controls the
entire stone business of the city. was obtained
readily. Other material men signed the agree
ment, ard thus the construction of all buildings
Is stopped until the embargo shall be removed.
There is entire unanimity of opinion about
the wisdom of the LOCKOUT among the builders.
'It had to come" said prominent builder, this
Afternoon, I'VE were tired of being worried. We
could never tell where stood nor what we
were doing. Every body in the building busi-
ness was IN the same fix. Material men were
just badly of. and at the last meeting of the
executive board it was decided that the next
strike would settle the whole thing. one way or
tho other-settle it for keeps We want to
know. when we begin job. that will be al
lowed to finish it on the same basis we begin
on
Mr.. Joseph Downey, president of the Builders
and Traders Exchange. said the lockout would
undoubtedly be a long one I'VE are tired of
this uncertainty he said, .and it's got to stop
time Fully $4,000 men will lay down
their tools tomorrow night, with strone g proba-
bility of not having an opportunity of using
them again in this city for months MANY
poor man will earn tomorrow his last DAYS paw
for long time
Cornelius Price, the veteran master mason Of
Chicago said: The laboring men have built n
wall around the city of Chicago and determined
TO let only such men through the gates as they
may deem fit We going to tear down that
wall and make this free ciry-free to any work.
ingman of any trade that may care to enter ii. ~
Some of the contractors anticipated the tim Q
fixed by the order and shut down to-day. The
others will follow tomorrow night, withc ut
doubt, and the long hard struggle between the
masters and the men will begin and pro',s bly,
continue through the summer
President Kliver. of the trades assembly. said
to-day that this lockout would make the warm
est time IN Chicago that there has been for many
years. 1T will be the duty of the lab or lead
ers." he said, ito try and control TN sir men
through the critical period but it will ba a hard
job, and fear there will be open riot. Men
who have been living for months on starvation
wages, and have hardly cent to tfaeir names
will grow terribly desperate There Is however
any amount OF work in other Wester n cities aud
many men will doubtless seek ernpl oyInenr else
where. There are few OF our men who would not